Pocketknife, etc



J. T. SIBLEY ET AL POCKETKNIFE, ETC

May 27, 1924. V1,495,449

Filed Jan. 9. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ./me Szwazeymmk zZ-.mg

May 27 1924. 1,495,449

J. T. SIELEY ET AL FOCKETKNIFE, ETC

` Filed Jan. 9. 1023 2 sheets-snee: 2

. Z @Mwah @Mme/137% Patented May 27, 1924.

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JAMES T. SIBLEY AND FRANCIS A. HOSACK, OF NEW 'SZ'OIRTIL/I N. Y.

POCKETKNIFE, ETC.

Application led January 9, 1923.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES T. SIBLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, and FnANoIs A. HosAoK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvement in Pocketknives, Etc., of which the following is a specification sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains to utilize the same.

The essential features of our present improvements are applicable to clasp and pocket knives generally, and in fact to any and all knives having one or more blades foldable as related to the handle. One object of our invention is to facilitate the manipulation of the blades, both in opening and closing the same, by simple but effective means, whereby the blades are automatically and positively locked in either prescribed position; another object of the invention is to render the blades and operative parts interchangeable and replaceable, so that substitution may be made for broken'or worn parts, and also so that a set or series of interchangeable blades of various kinds, and for different purposes, may be provided and used in conjunction with the handle. To this end, the invention consists in the specific construction and combination of parts and appurtenances herein described and claimed specifically, arranged to operate conjunctively, substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings we eX- emplify the essential features of our invention in practical form as embodied in a two-blade pocket knife, although we do not limit ourselves thereto, since a singleblade knife may be'thus equipped, and minor details may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and intent of our invention in this respect. Furthermore, certain fignres of the drawings show` the structure, and component. parts thereof, on an enlarged scale, for convenience of illustration.

lVth this understanding,

Serial No. 611,668.

Fig. 1, represents an elevation of either side of our knife, closed; e

Flg. 2, 1s a front view of the knife;

Fig. 3, is a rear view of the knife; F 1g. 4, is an end View of the knife;

Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal sectional levation, taken upon plane of line 5 5,

Fig. (3, is an elevation of the knife, one cheek piece being removed, and the view showing both blades extended, one broken away in part;

Fig. 7, is a like view, with one blade in medial position, at right angles to the handle;

Fig. S, is an elevation of the inner face of one of the cheek pieces of the handle;

F ig. 9, is a central longitudinal section taken upon plane of line 9-9,' Fig. 8;

Fig. 10, is an elevation of the tang recessed side of a blade;

Fig. 11. is a transverse section through the tang of the blade, taken upon plane o-f line 11-11, Fig. 10;

Fig, 12, is a view like unto Fig. 10,-show ing a modification in the form of the tang recess;

Fig. 13, is a transverse section taken upon plane. of line 13-13, Fig. 12;

'Fig 14, is an elevation of the recessed side of one of the manipulative cam rings;

Fig. 15, is an edge elevation thereof, looking in the direction of the arrow 15, Fig. 14;

Fig. 16, is an elevation of the edge of the manipulative cam ring on the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17, is an elevation of the side of manipulative cam ring opposite to that shown in Fig. 14;

Fig. 18, is a side elevation of one of the latch springs;

Fig. 19, is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 20, is a detail View of one of the fulcrum studs;

Fig. 21, is a transverse section taken uponA plane ofline 21--21, Fig. 1, the blades being omitted.

The main parts of the handle H, may be designated for convenience of description, as the cheek pieces L h2, which are duplicates in every respect, being each formed with a longitudinal spine flange LX, so that when reversed and superposed with relation to each other they constitute a unitary structure, with the blade channel if, between thein,-each spine flange its, forming one half of the width of said blade channel.

The two cheek plates Zi', 7a2, are held together near each extremity by fulcrum studs s. a, one end of each of which is screw threaded for engagement with a binding nut n., the other extremity of each fulrum stud s, s, being rigidly attached to one of the cheek pieces, as will be understood by reference more particularly to Fig. 5, of the drawings. rl`hus each cheek piece t, Zi?, has iixedly secured to it one of said fulcrum studs s, s, and each is recessed to form a countersink h4, for the accommodation of one of the binding` nuts n, n. yllhe medial portion a, s', of each fulcrum stud s, s, is of greater diameter than the end portions thereof, forming shoulders S2, 82, (Fig. 20), which supplement the spine flange ZL, in spacing the cheek pieces it, It., apart.

Each cheek plate ZL, is formed on its inner e with a longitudinal recess h5, for the accommodation of a latch spring Z, countersunlr therein, as shown more particularly in F and 21, of the drawings, the reversal of the cheek plates ZL, if as related to each other as before stated positioning these recesses, Zr, and their latch springs Z, in aligni'nent on opposite extremities of the knife handle. The shanks of the latch sininns Z, may be secured in position by screws Z, centrally positioned in the cheek plates. shown or otherwise rigidly attached. to the cheelr plates 7L', fl?, the free ends of said latch springs Z, being formed with lateral shoulders ZX, for the purpose hereinafter set forth. Concentric with the axes of the fulcrum studs a, s, each end ot' each cheek plate t, 7a2, is formed with a semi-circular stop groove 7a3, for the accommodation of stop studs Zi, protuberant on each side of the tang Z), of each blade B. The said concentric semi-circular grooves 7a3, in the cheek pieces, are positioned at the ends of the latter, or in other words, beyond the axes of the fulcrum studs s, s, as shown .more particularly in Fig. S, of the drawings, the contacting of said tang` stop studs o', with the ends of the said concentric stop `grooves ZLS, limiting the extent of movement of the blades B, in either direction. That is to say. the semi-circular stop grooves h3, admit of a one half turn of each blade on its fulcrun'i (i. e. the medial portion a2, of its stud s) while prescribing the longitudinal alignment of the blade B. in either direction as related to the handle H.

Each blade is held in extended or retracted position, as the case may be, by the engagement of a spring latch shoulder ZX, with a diagonal groove b2, in its tang Z), said spring latch shoulder Z", being actuated and controlled by means of a cam ring l. formed with cam surfaces c, 7a2, adapted lo lift the latch shoulder ZX, out of said dingo-- nal groove Z2, upon occasion, against tinx resistance of the spring Z, which latter tends constantly to maintain engagement with the cam ring C, and blade tang Z).

rl`l1e rotativo cam rings K, are mounted between the ends of the cheek plates it, ZL, on the annular shoulders L, t, which are concentric. with the fulcrrun studs. They are each formed with a blade recess 7c3, the end shoulders of which contact with the lang Z), of the blade. Hence, as the blade ll, is limited to a half turn by the protrusion of its stop studs o', ZJ', into the senncircular stop grooves its, of the cheek plates Jz, Z1?, it is obvious that the limitation of motion of said cam ring l, will be one half a rotation.

The peripheral surface of each cam ring K, where exposed at the end of the handle, is knurled, or otherwise roughened as at X, to facilita-te manipulation by linger contact.

In operation, the pressure of the linger, or fingers, on the said lrnurled peripheral surface of a cani ring K, effects the partial rotation thereof, causing one or the other cam surface Zc, or 702, as the` case may be, to lift ing the latch shoulder ZX, out of the diagonal groove o2, in the tang Z, of the blade, so that the latter, with the cam ring K, may be turned a one half revolution, at the completion of which the latch shoulder ZX, automatically re-engages the diagonal tang groove b2, thereby locking the blade in the prescribed position, either extended in alignnient with the handle, or retracted therein.

The side walls of the diagonal groove Z2, of the tang Z), may be either rectangular', as shown more particularly in Figs. l0 and ll, or may be slightly bevelled, as indicated in Figs. 1Q and 18. of the drawings, in which latter case the spring latch will yield in the event of excessive pressure on the back of the blade when open, and thereby prevent fracture of any of the parts involved.

The nuts n, may be nicled for engagement with a key by which they may be tightened or loosened in position upon the screw ends of the fulorum studs.

The removal of said nuts a, admits of the separation of the parts, so that changes or replacements thereof may be readily effected.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

l. In a knife of the character designated,` the combination of duplicate cheek plates, one of which is formed with a spine flange and with a screw threaded fulcrum stud, and with semi-circular stop grooves conM centric with said fulcrum stud, and also with an annular shoulder concentric thereto,

a blade pivotally mounted on said fulcrum stud and formed with a tang stop stud protruding into said semi-circular groove in the cheek plates and also formed each With a diagonal tang groove a spring latch engaging With said diagonal tang groove, a cam ring rotatively mounted on said concentric shoulder on one of the cheek plates and engaging with said spring latch, and a nut engaging the threaded end of said fulcrum stud, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a knife of the character designated, the combination of spined cheek plates, fulcrum stud connecting said cheek plates, each cheek plate being formed With semi-circular stop grooves concentric with said :fulcrum studs and also With annular shoulders concentric thereto, said cheek plates being likewise formed with longitudinal recesses on their inner faces for the accomniodation of a spring latch, said spring latches, a blade pivotally mounted on said fulcrum stud and formed with tang a stop I stud protruding into the said semi-circular grooves in the cheek plates and also formed each with a diagonal tang groove for engagement with said spring latch,` a. cam ring rotatably mounted on said Concentric annular shoulders on the cheek plates, and a nut'countersunk in the cheek plates and engaging the threaded end of said fulcrum stud, substantially in the Inanner and for the purpose described.

3. ln a knife of the character designated, the combination of spined cheek plates a fulcrum stud connecting said cheek plates, each cheek plate beingl formed with semicircular stop grooves concentric with said fulcrum stud and also With an annular shoulder concentric thereto, a blade pivotally mounted on said fulcrum stud and formed with tang stop studs, projecting into said semi-circular stop grooves in the cheek plates and also formed With a diagonal ytang groove, a spring latch engaging With said diagonal tang groove, a cam ring rotatively mounted on said concentric annular shoulders on the cheek plates, and a nut engaging the threaded end of said fulcrum stud, for the purpose` and substantially in the manner set forth.

JAMES T. SIBLEY. FRANCIS A. HOSACK.

Witnesses GEO. 7m MIATT, MARGARET K. HANSTEIN. 

